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MLA report card: Guriqbal Kaur ‘Babli’ and Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan
Hindustan Times takes a look at Punjab MLAs and their performance:
Guriqbal Kaur ‘Babli’, 58, Congress
Constituency: Nawanshahr
Education: Graduate
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 83.6 lakh
Electoral record
2012: Defeated SAD’s Satinder Kaur Kariha by margin of 1,759 votes
2007: She did not contest; Jatinder Singh Kariha won the seat for SAD
Assembly record
Questions asked: 40
Call attention moved: 1
Power punch Grandfather-in-law Dilbag Singh was a senior Cong leader
What next Promoting son Angad Singh as replacement candidate
How she performed
She has failed to bring much development to the segment for which she blames the government and the district officers’ not paying heed to her demands or suggestions. Her long-pending demand of a district administrative complex here is yet to see the light of day. The foundation stone was laid by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on February 20 this year. The CM held many sangat darshan programmes in the election year here but she got nothing from it. The four-laning project that witnessed huge protests in the city for many months is yet to start on the ground, and she has just watched the developments. Worse, she was missing from the constituency for four months recently as she was abroad.
Voterspeak
“As our MLA belongs to Congress, the government ignored her. The government said it’ll build a district administrative complex here, but she was not on the scene,” Balwinder Singh Barmi, 60, trader, said.
“Government has turned its gaze towards our area only in poll year. Our MLA coud not do much. Roads and drains are in bad shape as even the MC is ruled by the Congress,” Rattan Jain, 55, social worker, said.
Surinder Singh Bhulewal Rathan, 62, SAD
Constituency: Garhshankar
Education: Class 5
Assets declared in last polls: Rs 10.6 cr
Electoral record
2012: Defeated Cong’s Lov Kumar Goldy by margin of 6,293 votes
2007: He did not contest; Lov Kumar Goldy won the seat for Cong against BJP
Assembly record
Questions asked: 63
Call attention moved: 0
Power punch Is SGPC member and Hoshiarpur-rural district SAD chief
What next Likely to get the ticket again
How he performed
For Garhshankar, he is the first MLA from a ruling party in two decades. He lists among his biggest achievements a maize-dryer worth Rs 9 crore at the Saila Khurd grain market that hugely benefitted farmers. A 30-bed hospital was built in Binewal area. For the Minar-e-Begamura, a monument being built by the state government as tribute to Guru Ravidass, too, the MLA claims his persuasion is what made it possible. Rathan also claims to have spent Rs 67 crore on development of Garhshankar town alone; but the money was not utilised properly, locals say. He also claims that 90% of the roads in his area are carpeted now, and he spent money on improving irrigation facilities too.
By the way Fitness is his passion, visits gym often
Voterspeak
“Our MLA has given preference to rural areas while urban areas have been neglected completely. He talks of giving funds to the municipal council, but funds are not used well,” Davinder Singh Bhattal, 37, trader, said.
“Our MLA made real efforts only in the election year. Roads in villages were re-constructed, which is not development! We need a bypass to end the jams at rail crossings,” Lakhwinder Kumar, 40, insurance agent, said.